Aerating device.



I. P. RUTH, In.

AERATING DEVICE. MPLICATION FILED MAY31. I917.

Patented June 4, 1918.

JosErn' r. RUTH, an, or DENVER, cononimo.

AERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4., 1918.

Application filed May 81, 1917. Serial No. 171,81.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. RUTH, Jr., citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerating Devices; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in agitating devices, being moreespecially intended for use in connection with flotation apparatus orapparatus adapted to cause the metallic values in connectionwith oil andair to rise to the top of the pulp in the form "of a froth.

In apparatus of this character it is exceedingly important that the pulpbe prop erly aerated and the object of my present improvement is toproduce a device adapted to efliciently perform this function, though itis evidentthat my improved agitator may be advantageously employed inother relations.

In the embodiment of my improved con-. struction, illustrated in thedrawing, the device is well adapted foruse in testing ore side member isremovable, so

for treatment by the flotation process, one side of the receptacle beingcomposed of glass whereby the process may be advantageously observed.Furthermore, this glass that after each test the receptacle may bethoroughly cleaned, in order to prevent the possibility of. any metallicvalues remaining therein from the previous test. It should be explained,however, that the construction is well adapted for use on a large scaleas well as in a small testing plant of the character just explained.

In my improvement I e mploy a receptacle into which the pulp H1111- gledwith the necessary oil is introduced. Located at the bottom of thisreceptacle is a rotary head from which extends downwar'dly a short,openended pipe, which is iii communcation with pulp in the bottom ofentrance of air.

the tank. A conduit is also connected with this head and extendsupwardly therefrom above the level of the ulp, the up er extremity ofthe conduit eing open or the The lower pipe member is in communicationwith the inner extremities of a number of passages formed in the headand whose outer extremities terminate at the periphery ofithe head whilethe upwardly extending conduit is in communication at its lowerextremity with a number of pets sages which also extend outwardly to theperiphery of the head, the outer extremities of the last named passages,however, being hooded to facilitate the escape of the air from saidpassages, this air being sucked downwardly through the upwardlyextending conduit by the centrifugal force developed by the rotaryaction. As the head is rotated, the centrifugal force draws pulp fromthe bottom of the tank and discharges it through certain passages of thehead to the periphery of the latter; while the same force draws airdownwardly through the upwardly extending conduit into the head anddischarges it through other passages at the periphery of the head. Theobject of hooding the outer extremities of the air passages of the headis to produce a suction adjacent the extremities of these passageswhereby the air is caused to escape from the outer extremities of saidpassages into the pulp.

Having briefly outlined my improvement as well as the function it isintended to perform I will proceed to describe the same in detail,reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustratedthe embodiment thereof. 7

In this drawing Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section illustratingmi improved apparatus, the section being ta en on the line 1-1 Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the agitating member roper,shown in detail and on a larger sea e.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a tank or receptacle adapted to hold pulp orother material to be treated. As shown in the drawing, the tank isadapted for use as a flotation apparatus and in Fig. 1 the top surfaceof the The side and end angle brackets '12 which extend inwardly overthe side wall 8, which is greferably composed of glass or other suita letransparent materlal. In the overlapping ends of these brackets 12 arethreaded fastening screws 13 whose lnner extremities engage the wall 8and hold the latter in place but in such a manner that it is readilymovable for the purpose of cleaning out the material and sedimenttherein after any test or after any batch of ore or other treated. Thebottom of the tank is vided with anopening 14 which is normally closedby a screw plu 15 which is provided or convenience of ma- Mounted uponthe upper part of the structure is an upright frame work 17 havingcross-pieces 18 in which is journaled a vertically disposed shaft 19carrying a pulley 20, which may be connected with any suitable motor,notshown, for the purpose of rotating the shaft. As ing the shaft issupported by means of ballbearing members 21 which are fast on the shaftand engage ball cups carried by the cross-pieces 18. This or anyothersuitable construction ing the shaft formance of its in a stableposition in the perfunction, as hereinafter described. This shaftextends downwardly, its

lower extremity terminating at the bottom of the tank where it isthreaded into the agitating member proper, which is designated by thenumeral 22. This member consists of a head 23 which is provided with asocket 24 V into which is threaded the lower extremity of. a tube orconduit 25. Below the threaded opening 24, the head is further providedwith an opening-26 shaft 19 is relatively small and leaves considerablespace within the conduit 25 the head, the upper extremity of the conduitbeing 'open and terminating above the level of the material and froth inthe tank.

. The lower extremity 'of the conduit 25,

within the agitating head is provided with a number of openings 27 whichare in communication with the inner extremities of the passages 28formed in the head, their outer extremities terminating at the peripheryof the head and being covered with hoods-29 which are open asshown at 30for the escape of air into the pulp. The agitatin member is rotated inthe direction indicate by the arrow a, in Fig. 4*and the hoods 29, whichextend outwardly a short distance from the periphery of the head attheir open extremities are curved or inclined inwardly merged into thee- Hence, as the hea is 11 indicated by the artheir inner extremitiesriphery of the head.

walls are provided with liquid in the tank material has been pro-passage 31 which tance from the shown in the draw-- may be employed forsupport-- into which is threaded. the lower extremity of the shaft 19.The

is drawn downwardly into 1,2es,eso

row (1, assuming that the tank. contains pulp or otherliquid asindicated inFi 1, a partial vacuum will be produced arfiacent the openextremity of each hood. Assuming that the agitating member is rotated atsufficient speed, this vacuum will be sufiicient to overcome thepressure of the head of and cause the air which is drawn downwardlythrough theconduit 20 to be forced outwardly into the liquid, wherebythe same will be thoroughly aerated, this aeration ,cotiperating withthe outward flow of liquid through the head in a manner'which will nowbe explained. The bottom of the agitating member 23 1s provided with ashort verticallydisposed 'is open at the lower end of the head andmerges into a short downwardly extending tube 32 which is open at itslower end and terminates a short disbottom of the tank. The shortpassage31 is in communication with the inner extremities ofthreepassages33 which lead outwardly from the passage 31 to the periphery of'thehead. As the head is rotated in the manner heretofore described, thecentrifugal force developed by the rotary action of the head will drawthe pulp upwardly from the bottom of the tank through the short passage31 and force it outwardly through the passages 33, producing a thoroughagitation of the pulp and a thorough mingling of the air and pulpthrough the medium of the agitating head.

s shown in the drawing a partition 34 is secured between the sides ofthe tank and is so shaped that. it is parallel r approximately parallelwith the bottom and inclined ends thereof. The short pipe member 32extends through an openlng in the bottom of this partition and duringthe operation heretofore explained, pulp is drawn upwardly from belowthe discharged against the inclined sides thereof, whereby it isdeflected upwardly and facilitates the carrying. of the mineral-ladenfroth composed of the metallic values, oil and air bubbles to the top ofthe pulp withm the tank.

As shown in the drawing the tank is fur and operation of a launder 36tank and the r The pulp tank by way of a valve-controlled conduitpartition and is my improvement will be readily understood.

to be treated is fed into the gled with the necessary oil, in case theappafatus is to be employed for separating mineral values on theflotation principle. The agitating head or member 23 is rotated at thedesired speed, as heretoforeexplained,

and draws air downwardly through the conduit member 25 and discharges itat the periphery of the head, pulp being drawn upwardly into the headsimultaneously and also discharged at the periphery of the head throughother passages, thus causing the air and the pulp to be thoroughlymingled, as heretofore explained- The relative number of air and liquidpassages in the head may be varied to control the proportions of air andliquid discharged through the head.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Aerating apparatus including a tank, a rotary member located thereinand provided with a set of passages extending from its central portiontoward its periphery, and a hollow member through which said passagesare in communication with the atmosphere above the liquid which the tankis adapted to contain, and another set of similar passages having bothends of each passagi in communication with the liquid in the ta 2.Aerating apparatus including a tank, a rotary member located therein andprovided with a passage extending from its central portion to itsperiphery, and a hollow memher through which said passage is incommunication with the atmosphere above the liquid which the tank isadapted to contain, and another similar passage having both of its endsin communication with the liquid in the tank.

3. Aerating apparatus includin a tank, a rotary member located thereinan provided with a plurality of independent passages extending from itscentral portion to its periphery, and a hollow member through which saidpassages are in communication with the atmosphere above the liquid,which the tank is adapted to contain, and another passage having both ofits ends in communication with the liquid in the tank, and means forrotating the said member at a speed to develop sufiicient centrifu alforce to overcome the pressure of the liquid in thetank, whereby air andliquid are taken into .35 the said member and discharged at itsperiphery.

4:. Aerating apparatus including a tank, a rotary member locatedtherein. and provided with an open ended passage extending from itscentral portion to its periphery and a hollow member through which saidpassage is in communication with the atmosphere above the liquid whichthe tank is adapted to contain, a hood at the outer extremity of the airpassage and another passage having sages extending from its centralportion outrotary head both of its ends in communication with the liquidin the tank.

5. Aerating apparatus including a tank, a rotary member located thereinand provided with a number of open-ended passages extending from itscentral portion to its periphery and a hollow member open to theatmosphere above the liquid which the tank is adapted to contain, and incommunication at its lower end with said passages, hoods at the outerextremities of the said passages, and a number of other passages incommuni cation at both of their extremities with the liquid in the tank,said last named passages extending from the central portion of the saidmember to its periphery.

6. Aerating apparatus including a tank, a member mounted to rotatetherein and composed of a head having a number of pas- 851 wardly to itsperiphery, a tubular member connected with the head and extending abovethe liquid in the tank, said tubular member being open to the atmosphereat its upper extremity and in communication at its lower extremity withthe passages of the head, the rotary member having a depending conduitopen at its lower extremity to allow the liquid of the tank to enter,the rotary memher having a number of passages in communication with thesaid liquid-receiving conduit, said last named passages being open-endedand extending from the central portion of the rotary member to itsperiphery.

7. Aerating apparatus including a tank a vertically disposed shaftextending into the tank, a rotary member secured to the lower portion ofthe shaft and having two sets of passages extending outwardly from itscentral portion to its periphery, one set of said assages having hoodsat their outer extremlties, a conduit whose lower extremity is securedto the said rotary member and in communication with the hooded passages,the upper extremity of said conduit being in communication with theatmosphere above the liquid of the tank, the rotary member having 9.depending conduit in communication with the other set of passages bothextremities of the latter thereby being in communication with the liquidin the tank.

8. A gas difi'usion device comprisin a rotary head having a passage forgas t erein extending outwardly toward the periphery of the head and astationary hood at the outer extremity of said passage.

9. A gas diffusing device comprising a rotary head having a plurality ofpassages for gas extending outwardly toward the perlphcry of the headand stationary hoods at the outer extremities of the passages.

10. A gas diffusing device comprising 8. having a plurahty of passagesfor gas extending outwardly toward the peof liquid extending outwar lyboth end a let, and a stationary member arranged adja- "cent said outletand toward the of the head, and a set periphery of liquid passages alsoextending toward the. passages being open ,at.

eriphery, all of said s 12. A gasdifiusion device comprisinga rotarytherein extending outwardly from the center of the inember, said.passage havmg' an outadapted to liquid passing said outlet.

member having a passage for gas,

displace I 13. A gas diffusion device comprising a rotary head having aassage for gas therein extendlng outwardly om the center of the head,

said outlet and adapted to displace liquid passing said outlet to createa partial vacuum-to draw out the gas.

i 14. A gas diflusing device comprising a rotary head having a pluralityof passages for gas extending outward] from the center off'the head,each passagehaving anoutlet .in itsouter" portion, anda relativelystation- 'ary hood arranged adjacent each of said out lets and adaptedto said outlets to createadraw gas into the liquid.

In testimony whereof I aflix m JOSEPH P. mi

displace liquid'passing partial vacuum to signature. TH, JR,

said passage having an outlet, and a relatively stationary hood arrangedadjacent

